Mid-Am 30-Minute Clinics
As you walk the Mid-Am trade show, stop by these mini-workshops to listen and learn about business-building tips and techniques. Separate registration not required.
Participating Speakers and Topics
| WEDNESDAY, January 14 | Topic | Speaker |
| 1:00 - 1:30 p.m. | Why We Should Develop Standard-Size Growing Containers for the Horticultural Industry |
Platt Hill |
| Currently, there are no universally accepted standards for growing containers. For example, one supplier of nursery containers lists 17 different #1 or 1 gallon pots. The green industry sends an estimated 320 million pounds of discarded plastic containers to the landfills every year. This is not sustainable. It is also not very green. For our industry to remain viable in the future, we should prepare to mechanize. There are numerous advantages to the consumer and industry professionals if container standardization is adopted. In addition to marketing and mechanization, container standardization would assist with designing benches, growing beds, shipping racks, display beds, and pot-in-pot growing systems knowing the growing containers will fit them. Environmentally friendly practices would be supported as pots, flats, and baskets, regardless of their origin, could be returned to retailers and growers for reuse, ultimately impacting the waste stream, oil consumption, and container expenditures. Additionally, standardization should be developed in parallel with biodegradability and recycling. | ||
| 2:00 - 2:30 p.m. | How to Get Your Press Releases Read and Published | Rick Reuland |
| Anyone can write a press release, but is the one you write ending up in the circular file at the editor’s desk? Do the press releases you submit not only get read, but also published? Attend this session by Rick Reuland, editor of ILCA Landscape Contractor Magazine, and learn the tricks to writing attention-getting press releases. | ||
| THURSDAY, January 15 | ||
| 1:00 - 1:30 p.m. | Rain Gardens |
Kevin McGowen |
| This session will provide an entry level look into Rain Gardens. Join Kevin McGowen as he discusses plant options, site options, benefits and theory for rain gardens. We’ll discuss what critters will come and advantages to having a rain garden. This discussion will focus on native and non-native plants, determining which plants will be sustainable in these areas and visually stimulating to the home owner. | ||
| 2:00 - 2:30 p.m. | Emerald Ash Borer |
Dr. Dave Roberts |
| The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) was identified in the U.S. in 2002, and has resulted in the destruction of millions of Ash trees throughout Michigan and is spreading across the upper Midwest. There have been many misconceptions about how to prevent and control Emerald Ash Borer infestations. Dr. Roberts will provide details about EAB symptoms and diagnosis, as well as provide an overview of successful chemical treatments using fertilizers and the pesticide imidacloprid. Dr. Roberts will describe his experience with EAB from discovery through successfully controlling EAB, both preventatively and curatively, in residential, commercial, and municipal environments. | ||
| FRIDAY, January 16 | ||
| 1:00 p.m. | Developing New Perennial Plants for North American Gardens | Dr. Jim Ault |
| The demand for novel perennial plants has perhaps never been higher, ironically at a time when public breeding programs are waning. One solution is to establish regional breeding programs that can develop new perennials up to the rigors of our urban landscapes, continental climate, and insect and disease challenges. Follow the example of the perennial plant breeding program at Chicago Botanic Garden to learn how simple plant breeding really can be. Nurseries and even backyard breeders can help supply new hybrid plants to the gardening marketplace. |